When Days Run Cold
by rawritscasey
Summary: A week before Eli heads off to NYU, Clare calls their relationship quits. Eli is left in a foreign country, all on is own, to deal with the heartache. Now he's got a new batch of friends... maybe even a new girl, as he tries to move on. But the past always has a way of coming back. CHAPTER ONE IS UP.
1. Light of a New Day

**A/N**: Alright, so I decided to make another series. I have no idea how many chapters are going to be added as of yet. I'm actually really excited for this story and I really hope you like it!

Also, I'm gonna keep this at a **T **rating for now, but I plan on bumping it up to **M **in later chapters.

** Disclaimer**: I do not own Degrassi or any of the characters... except the ones that I make :)

* * *

**When Days Turn Cold**

**Part I**: Light of a New Day

Eli angrily closed out of the word document he had been working on for hours. A nasty case of writers block had overtaken him a couple days ago and it seemed as if it was here to stay. He ran his clammy hands over his face and through his newly shortened hair. Weeks ago, Eli had decided to say goodbye to 'high school Eli' and start anew with 'NYU Eli'. And apparently part of that process was cutting his shaggy locks.

Even though he knew he was being overdramatic, he felt his screenplay would never be finished by the time winter break ends, which was in a week.

All his new friends had gone home for the holidays, but Eli had opted to stay in New York in his apartment. At first, he'd been scared out of his mind at the thought of being in an unfamiliar city all on his own. But after some time, he felt a strong sense of freedom.

He leaned back in his cheap computer chair and stretched his arms above his head. Eli closed his laptop and stood. Goosebumps formed on his legs and arms. He was wearing a NYU tee-shirt and a pair of navy basketball shorts, and his building didn't have the best heating.

Eli crossed the small room to the window. Giant flakes of snow painted the city a glorious white. Car horns blared on the streets below him, which were sounds he'd gotten used to in the middle of the night. The view from his window was nothing spectacular. He saw the road below him and the apartment building across the street from his fifth story room.

He pressed his forehead against the chilly glass and closed his eyes. One Thing More by _Matthew Perryman Jones _began playing on the small stereo in the corner of the room. The soft guitar strums washed over the apartment. The song was part of a mix CD some girl from his British Literature class made for him his second week of college. He felt bad that he didn't know her name since she'd gone to the trouble of making it for him. The music wasn't really his style but he had to admit there were some good songs on the playlist.

It was not as if the girl wasn't cute, because she definitely was. But he just wasn't ready to be with anyone just yet. Not after Clare dumped him.

He grimaced at the memory. The thought still stung every bit as it did when she'd said the words to his face months ago.

Eli huffed and turned around. His stomach growled rather audibly and he then realized he hadn't eaten since last night. He looked at the clock and saw that it was noon.

He hadn't been out of his apartment for days since there was really no one left for him to hang out with. It was about this time on a Saturday that he's go to Josh's dorm room and he'd take Eli to some underground party and he would meet the most interesting people. But maybe that was just because they were either drunk or high off their tits.

His roommate, Dex, was back in New Jersey with his family, so Eli had the apartment to himself.

Eli walked over to his laundry pile in front of his bedroom door. He stripped off his clothes and pulled on a grey long-sleeved tee and jeans. He checked his pockets and found a ten dollar bill. Eli smiled to himself. _Maybe the day is starting to look up_, he thought.

He grabbed his phone from the desk and crossed the living room to the door. He picked his dark green winter coat off the hanger and slipped it on. He reached down to pull on his boots.

Just as he was about to leave, his cell rang. Eli sighed and pulled it out of his pocket.

"Hey Adam," Eli greeted. He stepped out into the hallway and locked his door behind him.

"Dude, I haven't heard from you in forever! What, am I not as important as your fancy new college friends?" Adam accused jokingly. Eli chuckled.

"Nah man, I've just been buried in papers and work I have yet to finish. And I thought homework in high school was bad," he explained.

"Well, we all miss you here," Adam told him. _I bet Clare doesn't_, Eli thought.

"How are things?" he asked Adam.

"There haven't been any more shootings or almost-stabbings if that's what you mean. Things are just getting back to normal, or as normal as Degrassi can be," Adam told him.

Eli pressed the button for the lobby in the elevator. The doors closed and he leaned against the hand railing. He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

"I guess that's good," Eli said.

"So," Adam queried, "You meet anyone? I'll bet the city girls are hot." _And there it is_, Eli thought.

Adam hadn't wanted to take sides when Eli and Clare broke up, so the situation was very awkward for him. He listened to Eli rant on and on, trying to figure out what he'd done wrong. Clare hadn't given Eli much of an explanation. He'd been completely blindsided.

Things were just fine, amazing even, in the months before. They had spent the entire summer together. He even got to see the real-life version of those nude pictures she'd taken.

Their relationship was really moving along, and Eli thought they'd stay together even when he went away. He knew it would be tough, but he thought they were strong enough to make it.

Now, he hasn't spoken to Clare in months.

Eli laughed halfheartedly.

"Haven't really met anyone that interests me yet," he admitted. He sincerely wished he could get over Clare and move on with his life. He tried to keep telling himself that she was just a girl and there are plenty more fish in the sea. But Clare wasn't just _any _girl. She was… Clare. There were no words to describe what she meant to him. And he thought she knew that.

But considering how she cruelly dumped him a week before he embarked on the scariest journey of his life yet, he guesses she didn't quite know that.

"Man, you've got to give me something more interesting than that. Seriously, it is so boring here!" Adam complained.

Eli's elevator opened up at the lobby and he exited. He strolled through the room, smiling and waving at an older woman who had just walked in. He pushed open the doors and was hit with a gust of chilling wind.

"Sorry," Eli said. He walked along the sidewalk, one hand in his coat pocket. He was heading towards the coffee shop on the corner of the block.

"Man, I wish you'd have come back here for the break. You know, we still haven't finished our co-op of Deadrising 2 yet," Adam pointed out.

"I swear I'll visit for spring break," Eli said.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Adam says.

"Sorry man, I just don't think I could handle going back just yet," he admits.

"Look, I know you must be pretty broken up about you-know-who, but you shouldn't let that hold you back," Adam said, "I mean come on man, you can't keep dwelling in your high school days."

"I know. It's just not that simple though," Eli pointed out. He turned the corner and opened the door to the coffee shop. He was blasted with a gust of hot air from the vent above him. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and delicious pastries filled his nose.

"Well, whatever. You've gotta move on and start really enjoying your college years man," Adam said.

"I will," Eli told his friend. He walked up to the counter and ordered his cinnamon bun. He paid and went to sit at a nearby table.

"So seriously Eli, what have you been up to?" Adam asked.

Eli looked around the shop and saw all the hipsters with their feather tattoos on their arms and stretched ears blogging away on their laptops. He figured they were posting about how mainstream Starbucks was and how they would never conform to such social normalcy.

Eli chuckled to himself at the thought.

"You know, work, sitting through three-hour long lectures and trying not to fall asleep, hanging out with some people, usual college stuff," Eli said. His order was called and he went to go grab it. He brought it back to his table and dug in. He had just realized how famished he felt.

"You've got to tell me about the parties," Adam demanded.

Just as Eli was about to answer, someone plopped down in the seat across from his. He stopped chewing and looked up.

"Hi Eli," she said cheerfully.

"Who's that?" Adam asked, overhearing.

"I have to call you back," Eli told him, staring at the girl.

"Wait, don't you dare…" Adam was cut off after Eli pressed the 'end call' button and placed his phone on the table.

"Hey… you," Eli said. Sitting in front of him was the girl who made him the mix CD, What's-her-name.

"I thought you'd be home for the holidays," she said.

"Uh… yeah, well I decided to stay," Eli admitted. He knew this situation was going to be extremely awkward so long as he didn't know her name.

"Well, I live here in the city, so lucky me!" she said. She had a very sweet voice.

This girl had long, thin blonde hair that was pulled behind her ears. Her brown eyes studied him and pursed her light pink glossed lips.

She reached over and pulled a piece of his cinnamon bun off and stuffed it in her mouth. That kind of pissed Eli off a bit, but he kept it together and gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Did you like the playlist I gave you?" she asked, eyes wide and shining.

"Yeah, it had some good songs," Eli said, feeling super uncomfortable.

And just the fact that this pretty girl talking to him was making him feel awkward was ridiculous. He should be flirting with her mercilessly! He was single after all.

She seemed to like him and she seemed like a nice girl. So what was stopping him?

Absolutely nothing.

"Do you wanna share?" he asked, pushing his plate towards her. He picked up the extra fork and held it out to her. She blushed and grinned embarrassingly.

This girl had adorable dimples.

She took the fork and took a bite. He looked at her pretty face and smiled.

It was about time he moved on.

* * *

_Eli grabbed Clare's hand desperately. She was about to turn away from him._

"_Please don't do this," he pleaded. _

"_I'm sorry," she said, dropping her eyes to her feet. She couldn't look Eli in the face. She tried to pull away, but his grip on her hand was holding strong._

"_Can we at least talk about this? What happened? Was it something I did?" he asked. His voice cracked near the end. _

"_I can't," she said, tears forming in her eyes. She wished he'd just let her go._

"_Please don't do this to me again, Clare, please," he begged. He knew hoe pathetic and clingy he sounded, but he didn't care. He had no idea what he'd done to make Clare do this._

"_Please, Eli, I'm so sorry," she cried, voice rising. She snatched her hand from his and turned to walk away._

"_Clare, wait, no!" he called and followed her. He was not letting her go that easily. He rushed up to stand in front of her. He saw the tears on her face and he cupped her cheeks in his hands._

"_Why?" he asked quietly, looking her right into her blue eyes. Her lips quivered and pursed as she tried not to burst into hysterics. _

"_You'll figure it out." That was the last thing she had said to Eli. He was so momentarily confused that he let her slip from his grip and she walked away._

_He was frozen in place, suddenly feeling hollow and more broken than ever._

_The palms of his hands felt colder now that they were not pressed to her skin._

_Clare got into her car and drove off, leaving Eli behind._

* * *

Kinda short, I know. But I'm just getting started. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Float On

******A/N**: Sorry this took a couple days. I've been buried in college and scholarship application essays, not to mention oodles of homework. It feels so good to write something I enjoy for a change (even thought I still have a shit ton of homework to finish for tomorrow).

It's still rated **T **but I promise to add more sexy bits later.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Degrassi, or any of its characters... just the characters I've created to enhance this story.

* * *

**When Days Run Cold**

**Part** **II**: Float On

As Clare was driving to school, a hearse pulled up in the lane next to her. She had been successful in keeping her ex out of her mind for two weeks and she was just starting to feel a little less crappy. It was like the universe just decided to give her the middle finger.

She tried not to convince herself that she deserved it after what she'd done to Eli. But of course, the guilt bullied its way into her conscience.

Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel and she took a deep breath. Eli's face after she said they should break up flashed behind her closed eyes. She immediately opened them and saw the hearse again. She glanced up at the stoplight, saw it blaring red and asked God to turn it green for her.

But God was not on her side today.

The red light seemed to last forever. And when it did change, she stepped on the accelerator a little too hard and she heard the tires squeal against the pavement.

Clare made it to school in record time. She pulled into the student lot and parked in a space close to the exit. She collected her books and backpack and then exited the car.

The chilly air nipped at her exposed skin. She wore a bright red pea coat, buttoned all the way to the top. Her blue scarf peaked over the collar of the coat. The bottoms of her jeans were wet when she trudged through the snow this morning.

"Hey! Clare!" a female voice called. She looked up and around. Katie Matlin was heading over to her, tugging Jake along with. Clare had offered to drive Jake to school, but he politely denied and told her he'd ride with Katie. Jake's dad had taken his truck away indefinitely after a major argument. Clare hadn't been informed of the specifics. She liked to stay out of family drama, or rather any drama at all.

But even when she tried to avoid it, the drama always found her. She'd learned the lesson many times.

Clare suddenly found herself with an armful of Katie while Jake smiled and shrugged.

"How was your winter break?" Katie asked.

"Nothing super exciting," Clare answered. She had spent most of her time with Alli. She had come back to visit from MIT and had so much to tell Clare. Then she'd spent Christmas with her mother, step-father, and Jake.

But New Years was a different story. She'd been invited to a party at Fiona's condo. As the night progressed, the memories got fuzzier and fuzzier. But she swears she remembers kissing (or was it more than that?) some guy at midnight that was old friends with Fiona.

She didn't exactly want to broadcast that to people though. And apparently the guy didn't even live in Canada so that was to her advantage.

"Low key, I like it," Katie said cheerfully. She unwrapped her arms from around Clare and grabbed Jake's hand. He looked at Clare knowingly. He had been their when she'd come stumbling home. Unlike a normal brother, he did not rat her out. She appreciated his silence. She was also glad he apparently hadn't told Katie.

Clare, Jake, and Katie walked into Degrassi together. They all headed down the hallway until Clare had to break off to open her locker.

"See you after second period," Katie called to her over the roar of the students. Jake smiled and waved at her, throwing an arm around Katie's shoulders. Then they disappeared into the crowd of students.

Clare suddenly found herself envying Katie, which was ridiculous. It wasn't because she missed having Jake as her boyfriend, because that ship had definitely sailed. She just missed having someone to put their arm around her and walk down the halls with; someone with whom she could sneak kisses in between classes out of view of the teachers. But most of all, she just missed having someone. It seemed as if everyone left for better things and now Clare was stuck here at Degrassi.

Clare shoved her feelings away, along with her Calculus textbook, and slammed her locker door. She turned around to head to class when she came face-to-face with Adam Torres.

"Hello, old friend," he greeted, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing, hard. She smiled and returned the hug.

"How was your break?" she asked politely. She felt a little uncomfortable around Adam, which was absurd. Things had been messy and awkward ever since Eli and she broke up.

"Drew came home to visit for the holidays. He's been doing great ever since Bianca and he moved into their own apartment," he told her.

"Any news on the nuptials?" she asked. He told her about Drew's proposal practically the second Adam found out.

"Nah, they said they're taking their time, no rush you know," he told her. Clare hummed in approval.

There was a pregnant pause. Adam looked like he was gathering his courage to say something, his mouth opening and closing. Then he finally took a deep breath and spoke up.

"I talked to Eli," he said. Clare sighed and looked down at her feet.

"I know things didn't work out between you two, but I thought you'd at least care to know how he's doing," he said. Clare looked up at Adam and gave him and warning look.

"I'm fine with everything now," Clare assured him, "And I hope he's having fun at college, I really do. But I think it's best if I didn't know what's going on with his life. He doesn't want anything to do with me, not after what I did. It's none of my business what, or who, he does anymore," she said, her voice rising in anger.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I just mean that those months you who were together obviously weren't for nothing. You still have to care about him," he pointed out.

"I broke up with him," Clare said, sadness creeping into her voice.

"About that," he said, and she knew exactly where he was going with it, "Why did you? Break up with him, I mean. I know it isn't my business but we're still friends and friends confide in each other. And if you don't wanna tell me, then at least explain it to Eli. He deserves to know why the girl he loved so much broke it off without any warning. He needs closure, and so do you," he said. Clare pressed her lips in a line.

"I have to get to class," she said and pushed passed Adam.

"Clare, come on!" Adam called after her, but she kept walking. She hated being rude to her friend, but she really didn't feel like talking about Eli. Not after what happened on the way to school that morning, anyway.

She turned down another hallway and entered her AP English Literature classroom. Clare took her seat in the back corner and got out her notebook and folder.

The prompt for that day's opening statement was already on the board.

Clare was shifting her arm on her desk and accidentally knocked her folder to the floor. The papers sprawled all across the ground near her and she sighed, visibly annoyed.

Like the day couldn't get any worse for her.

As she was about to bend down to gather her papers, a pair of hands beat her to it and picked them up for her. She looked up and saw Jason Maloney's smiling face.

Jason sat next to her in that class. He had been a transfer from a school in California. Clare had felt bad for him, because she figured it must be terrible to be the new kid your senior year of high school. She saw him sitting alone at lunch the first day of school, so she sat next to him and introduced herself. They ate lunch together every day, then on.

Jason's bright gray eyes stared down at her when he stood straight and held the folder out to her.

"Thanks," she said and grabbed her stuff. Jason chuckled.

"No problem," he said. He had a mellifluous voice, like a gentle violin.

He ran his fingers through his soft brown curls and sat down in the seat next to hers. He got out his notebook, covered with random doodles that Clare had always admired, and got to work on the warm-up.

Clare tore her eyes away from the subtle muscles of his arms from under his long-sleeved Henley and started her work.

The prompt was simply a picture. It was a painting of a monstrous being with horns and trees growing from his back and a man pulling the beast along with a leash. The only words were: Write this story. These were the kinds of prompts that intrigued Clare. They were challenging, yet they could so easily be incredibly creative.

It was seven minutes later and Clare was still writing her short entry. She wrote about how the beast was lonely since everyone feared him. But he was a kind creature and all he wanted was for someone to accompany him on his quests. Then one day, a brave soul looks past his appearance and befriends the beast.

She knew it was very cheesy, but it sent her creative juices flowing.

Clare was barely aware that the teacher was talking until she glanced up at the clock after she was almost at a page in length of her story.

"…the district was granted a giant sum of money and the AP department was given most of the portion sent to Degrassi. So the teachers and administrators held a meeting to discuss what we were going to do with the money, and we came to the conclusion that we had enough money to take our English classes on a field trip and have a lot left over for future classes," Mrs. Peterson told the class.

_Great_, Clare thought, _another trip to the local museum_. High school field trips were usually never any fun. Not like they used to be in elementary and middle school.

"And since the first term of the class has done so well with grades and behavior, we decided to reward you guys with an amazing opportunity," she went on.

"Where are we going?" one girl sitting in the front of the room asked. Clare glanced back down at her story and begun writing the conclusion.

"That's the best part. Degrassi hasn't done something quite this big in regards to field trips, so this one is going to be a trial and error. We're bringing the AP English student to New York," she told the class.

Clare froze up and the lead of her pencil snapped. The students erupted in a fit of excited cheers and hollers. Clare heard Jason's semi-quiet 'Holy shit'.

Now Clare was sure this day couldn't get any worse.

* * *

Yep, I know. Another short part. Eh, I'll try to write the later parts longer. I just don't have much time to do so.

Also, yes, this story will be told in alternating points of view. I just like having two sides to a story :D

Hope you liked!


End file.
